Submitted

Mon, Jun 8th 2015 05:10 pm

22 million watch American Pharoah cross finish line as First Triple Crown winner in 37 years

Blackhawks-Lightning on NBC most-watched NHL Stanley Cup Game 2 on record

NBC Sports' history-making "Championship Saturday," featuring American
Pharoah's victory in the 147th Belmont Stakes to win the first Triple Crown
since Affirmed in 1978, and Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Chicago
Blackhawks and Tampa Bay Lightning, delivered ratings milestones, according to
fast national data provided by The Nielsen Company.

Belmont Stakes

"The 37-year wait is over.
American Pharoah is finally the one! American Pharoah has won the Triple
Crown!" - Larry Collmus' race call on NBC

An average of 22 million viewers tuned in on NBC from 6:45-7 p.m. ET as
American Pharoah crossed the finish line of the Belmont Stakes with a 51/2-length
edge to become the first Triple Crown winner in 37 years.

•The full race portion of the
telecast (6:15-7:15 p.m.) averaged 18.6 million viewers - ranking as the third
most-watched Belmont Stakes on record (People Meter history dates to 1988), and
marking the first time on record the Belmont has averaged at least 18.5 million
viewers in consecutive years (20.5 million in 2014). The Belmont Stakes posted
an 11.2/26 fast national rating - also third-best in People Meter history for a
Belmont.

•Post-Belmont coverage from
7-7:15 p.m., which featured the special Triple Crown ceremony, delivered a
10.9/25 rating and 18.3 million viewers - up a respective 8 percent and 2
percent from last year's post-race quarter hour.

•The New York market, the
home of the Belmont Stakes, registered a 16.6 rating/36 share - up 5 percent
from last year's Belmont (15.8/37), and ranking as the second-highest Belmont
in the market behind only Smarty Jones' Triple Crown attempt in 2004 (20.5/38).

•The replay of the Belmont
Stakes, with Collmus' race call, plus additional Belmont video coverage was
viewed 2.5 million times across the platforms of NBC Sports Digital.

NHL Stanley Cup Final Game 2

NBC Sports' Saturday primetime presentation of Game 2 of the Stanley
Cup Final on NBC averaged 6.6 million viewers, making it the most-watched Game
2 on record (data available since 1994), and the most-watched non-deciding
Stanley Cup Final game on record. The game followed NBC Sports' presentation of
the Belmont Stakes.

•The second contest between
the Blackhawks and Lightning surpassed last year's viewership of Game 2 between
the Kings and Rangers, which also followed Belmont Stakes coverage and was
decided in double overtime (6.4 million), by 3 percent. Viewership for the game
peaked in the final full quarter-hour (9:45-10 p.m.), with more than 7.2 million
viewers. The 7:15-7:30 p.m. lead-in quarter-hour, which immediately followed
Belmont Stakes coverage, averaged nearly 10.7 million viewers. The game
delivered a 3.9 household rating.

•Chicago delivered a 22.6
rating, followed by Tampa Bay's 15.1 local market rating, which stands as the
second-highest rating in Tampa for a Lightning game on any NBC network,
trailing only Game 1 last Wednesday night on NBC (17.9).